Happy Thursday!

I've been slowly making my way through this one so as not to rush the incredible storytelling Sabaa Tahir is doing in this book.

For those of you who are following along, I wanted to share some annotations and themes that have come up for me while reading. Please feel free to use them as you navigate through the story, and also drop any themes that come up for you while reading!

*breath/breathing - Sal uses the "breathe in for 5 seconds, breathe out for 7 seconds" method to calm himself down during moments of being anxious. There is also the breathing associated with living, surviving, and death.

*numbers - Noor is obsessively tracking the college applications/rejections she receives and Sal is overly conscious of the mounting debt his family is drowning under.

*deficits - As Noor and Sal navigate through their public school, there is a clear distinction between the "haves" and "have nots" between them and their classmates. There is also more rejection, specifically within the family dynamics of the two characters. Lastly, I've noticed the deficits between hope and dreams that seem to surround Noor and Sal, but originate from the parents/guardians in their lives.

This is a heavy read, hence my moving slowly through it, but I hope you all are enjoying it as much as I am.

If you're reading along, or have read this one before, what other themes/annotations have come up for you? Drop your comments below!